A private matter
by ShanMah
Summary: Sequel Four years after "A public matter", Seto and Mai must face some new... challenges.
1. Blue Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own YGO's characters, cards, locations, etc! This story is purely fanmade and I am writing it for fun, not for money.

**Pairing:** Arroganshipping (Seto/Mai). Yayyy!

**Rating:** T

**Explanation:** This is a sequel of my previous arrogantshipper story, A public matter. I guess this one can be read without knowing A public matter, however to understand everything it is better to read A public matter first! Note that this sequel starts four years after APM's end, so Mai is about 29, Seto's 23 (and so are Yugi, Joey, Tristan, etc), Mokuba's 15 (those fools never stated his age in the anime, so I sort of decided his age myself), and of course Kisara is 4.

**Warning:** I'm still the same French speaker that I was in my previous fanfic! I didn't have big problems with A public matter and my other stories, however, if you see any mistake (spelling, grammar, typo, whatever), especially some that could make a sentence hard (or impossible XD) to understand, please, PM me or review me so I can know it and change it. I thank you in advance ^^

**A private matter**

**Chapter 1: Blue Eyes**

Mai was walking down one of the manor's corridor, when she suddenly heard a noise behind a dark wooden door. She frowned. It was their bedroom. When she opened the door, someone ran outside the luxurious bedroom.

Someone who was very little and had pale skin, blond hair and blue eyes.

"Kisara!"

The kid was still running. Mai sighed and ran after her.

"Kisara, would you stop running!"

She took a deep breath.

"**KISARA KAIBA**!"

The child's entire body froze. She knew that when her mother was using this tone and calling her by her full name, she wasn't joking at all. She turned and gave Mai her cutest smile.

"Yes, mom?"

"Kisara, what were you doing in your father and I's bedroom?"

"N-nothing!"

"You know you have no right to enter this room without Seto or myself."

"I just wanted to see... the view!!!"

Mai raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you lie to me, Kisara. Your bedroom as exactly the same view. What were you doing there?"

She noticed that her daughter was hiding her left hand behind her back. The blond-haired woman took Kisara's tiny arm in her hand to see what she was holding. Mai frowned when she noticed one of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"Why did you take this? You know you're not allowed to touch your father's cards. Especially those."

Kisara bobbed down.

"I-it's just that I wanted to duel Mokuba but he always wins!!! So I thought, with dad's dragon..."

"Poweful cards don't guarantee victory."

She took the Blue-Eyes back.

"Especially when they're** stolen**, Kisara. I'll put it back in Seto's deck and we'll pretend this never happened, young lady, but if you do it again, I'll tell him."

"Yes, mom. I think I'll go and challenge Mokuba anyway!"

"That's the spirit, my girl."

She gave her a kiss on her pale forehead and smiled when Kisara started running again, screaming:

"Mokie! I want a duel!!!"

Mai turned and went to her bedroom to put the Blue-Eyes White Dragon where it belonged: in Seto's deck.

When she was approaching the lounge, she heard Mokuba's voice and Kisara's.

"Mom!!!"

Kisara smiled to Mai when she noticed her in the door frame.

"Look! I think I'm actually going to win this time!!!"

"Don't dream too much, Kisara", Mokuba said.

Mai looked at the field. Kisara was controlling two Harpie Girls and Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon. However, Mokuba had one face down card. That could be a very powerful trap.

"I'll play two cards, Mokie! The first one is my third Harpie Girl, who activates Harpie's Pet Baby Dragon's final ability: I can destroy one of your card! So bye-bye, face down card!"

Mokuba blinked several times. It was the first time in all of their duels that Kisara managed to power up her dragon that much.

"I will still have 100 life points left when all your monsters attack, Kiki."

"**DON'T CALL ME THAT!** Anyway, you're wroooooooooong!!! I play Raising Air Current, so all of my monsters gain 500 attack points! And you looooooose!!!"

The little girl winked at Mokuba and jumped in her mother's arms.

"Did you see this? Did you see this???"

"Of course I did. You played amazingly. You kinda reminded me of myself."

"I know! Harpies are the best, but my monsters are cuter than yours!"

Mai laughed.

"I guess so. However, my Harpie's Pet Dragon is kinda cute... in a tough way."

"No he's not!!!"

"Cuteness has nothing to do with victory", Mokuba said.

Kisara shot him an extremely deadly glare.

"Whoa, don't look at me like that!! That was still a fun duel, you deserved to win."

"Did I hear well?" a new voice said.

"Dad!!!"

Kisara left her mother's arms, ran to Seto and jumped to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I missed you!"

Seto hugged his daughter and kissed her cheek.

"I missed you too, princess."

"And what about me?"

Mai gave him a cunning smile before she kissed him.

"You know I did", Kaiba replied.

"I just kicked Mokie's butt in a duel!"

The CEO stared at Kisara.

"Where did you learn that kind of language, young lady?!"

"What? Mokie says that very often!"

Kaiba stared at his brother and sighed.

"'Very often' is really exaggerated! I may say it sometimes, in very rare occasions..."

"Well, try to make sure that those rare occasions happen when you're far away from Kisara."

He put his daughter down and took Mai's hand.

"All right, we're leaving now. Be nice with Ethan. Kisara, don't try to lie to him about your curfew, he knows that you're not going to bed later than 8 o'clock."

"But dad, why can't we come with you?"

Mokuba turned on the huge plasma TV.

"Kiki, you know it's a special day for them so just don't insist."

"Don't-call-me-**KIKI**!"

"Whatever floats your boat...** Kiki**", he said with a smirk.

"DAD! **MOM**!"

They sighed.

"Please stop, both of you. We'll come back tomorrow morning, just don't kill each other until then", Kaiba said.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll take care of her."

"I don't need you!!! Dad, tell him I don't need him!"

With his hand, he messed Kisara's hair up.

"You're a big girl, aren't you? Tell him yourself."

He gave her a last smile and walked towards the door with Mai. Sacha took them to the most expensive hotel in town, where they had booked a suite for this very special day. The suite was luxurious, yet very intimate.

Seto hugged Mai.

"Do you realize it's already been five years?"

She smiled.

"No. Actually, I don't..."

-------------------------

They were both in the whirlpool, and Kaiba was sitting behind Mai, massaging her shoulders.

"Do you want your gift now?" he whispered to her hear.

She turned to him.

"You bought me a gift? But, Seto, we said no gift this year!"

He gave her a smile to apologize.

"I could not resist. Close your eyes, darling..."

He waited for her to obey before he put his hand under a white towel, where his gift was hidden.

"You can look..."

Mai's violet eyes immediately opened. Seto was holding a small, black velvet box. She felt her heart beating faster. Was it really what she thought? She'd been dreaming about it for years! He smiled at her and opened the box so she could see the most beautiful engagement ring one could imagine.

"Mai, will you... marry me?"

"Among all the proposals I've had in my life, this one is…"

She felt her eyes were a bit wet as she wrapped her arms around Kaiba's body.

"Of course I will!"

**End of the chapter:** I want to be in Mai's place :D please review ^^


	2. Like before

**Shvon:** Yep "Kiki" sounds cute but she doesn't like it at all... I wanted her to be a "little princess" (Seto Kaiba's daughter... that kid must be soooo spoiled XD there's nothing she cannot have I guess), but I still wanted her to have a strong character (like her parents)... anyway you'll see, she'll be quite important ;)

**princess-myu:** A love triangle? Mmmhh, I don't think so... (or at least it is not planned) but I'm sure you're gonna like it anyway ;)

**Chapter 2: Like before**

Mai was lying on a very comfortable bed. A smell of vanilla was floating in the air, the sweet perfume of the massage oil Kaiba was using on her back. She was wearing black lace underwear, and her body that Seto was touching and looking at in such a tender way was still as perfect as it was that night he truly saw her. The first time he really kissed her, the first time he touched her pale skin, the night Kisara was conceived... those memories would never fade away.

He smiled when he noticed that she was still staring at the ring she was now wearing.

"You don't have to watch it so carefully. It won't run away", he whispered to her ear.

The blonde smiled and closed her purple eyes.

"I just... it feels like a dream, I thought you'd never ask..."

He kissed her cheek.

"If it was that important to you, why haven't you talked about it?"

Mai's violet eyes quickly opened. She shot him a very insulted glare, but he didn't react - he knew when she was really angry or insulted, and right now, she was just pretending.

"It does not suit a lady to ask for a wedding!"

Seto laughed.

"I beg your pardon, milady, I didn't think you were traditional."

"I am not! It just... the way it is."

He kissed her shoulder.

"Then I'm sorry I made you wait."

"It doesn't matter now."

She smiled and turned to kiss him. His lips tasted a bit like vanilla, because of the oil on her own skin.

"Waiting only made this moment more precious..."

They kissed again. The CEO felt Mai's slim legs wrapping around his waist to bring him closer from her body.

"I love you", he whispered to her before kissing her neck. She slowly closed her eyes. He knew how much she liked being kissed there. His tongue went down slowly on Mai's skin, towards her breast. He felt her hands in his hair and her chest breathing faster as his tongue and fingers gave her chills...

------------------

They woke up quite late - it was Saturday, after all. Since Kisara's birth, Kaiba had promised Mai - and himself - that he would not work in the week-ends except for emergencies. He refused to give his daughter the kind of "father" he had himself: cold, obsessed by work, and always away from home. His little brother had once complained that he wasn't smiling anymore, and he wouldn't let his child say - or think - the same thing.

Seto and Mai called the room service for their breakfast, and then, about two hours later, they left the hotel. Sacha brought them back to the mansion.

Kaiba barely had the time to open the door before he heard someone running and Kisara's voice:

"Mom!! Dad!"

She jumped in her father's arms. He smiled and hugged her.

"Looks like someone missed us."

"Of course I did!!! Not like Mokie!"

Mokuba's voice came from the lounge:

"They didn't even leave for one full day, Kiki!"

"MY NAME IS KISARA!"

"Do not yell, Kisara" Mai ordered.

Ethan walked towards them and smiled politely.

"It is always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Kaiba and Miss Valentine", he said as he grabbed their luggage.

He headed for the stairs, then stopped and turned at him.

"Oh, sir, before I forget. You received two calls this morning."

"From who?"

"The first one was Bryan, and the second one..."

He frowned.

"I did not know her voice or her name, but she ensured me that you would recognize her."

Seto frowned too_. If it's Vivian..._

"Her name was Ishizu Ishtar."

"Wow!" Kisara said. "That's such a cooooooool name!"

"Ishizu? Are you sure about that?"

He knew his question was useless. There was no way this name could be a mistake from his butler.

"I am, sir. She said it was a very important matter and asked you to call her back as soon as possible."

"I'll see about that. Thanks, Ethan."

"It is my pleasure, Mr. Kaiba."

_I bet it's some fairytales again_.

He put his daughter down on the floor and grabbed his cell phone, but he was not calling Ishizu. He was calling Bryan.

"What was it, Bryan?"

"There is something that you must see immediately, sir."

The CEO sighed.

"It's Saturday, Bryan, I'm not working today, you know that. What's your emergency?"

"I can't really tell, you have to see it."

"Then come here, but make sure it is both fast and important."

"It is, sir. I'm leaving right now."

He hung up the phone and looked at Mai.

"Bryan's coming here."

Mai bit her bottom lip nervously.

"You know, Seto, as nice as this guy is... he only brings bad news."

---------------

"It's bad, sir. Very bad. The worst thing I could imagine..."

They were sitting in the lounge. The press attaché looked at Mokuba and Kisara.

"You might not want your brother and your daughter to hear it."

Kaiba stared at them for about one minute, then said:

"All right, you two. Out of this room for a while."

"But dad!!!"

"Come on, Kisara, it doesn't concern us", Mokuba said.

He took his niece's hand to force her to leave the lounge with him. When he was sure they could not hear him anymore, Bryan said:

"The magazines will cause you troubles again, and again it concerns your love life, but this time, I don't know how we can solve it."

Kaiba frowned.

"Get to the point, Bryan. You know I'm not very patient."

"All right then..."

Bryan took a magazine in his jacket, and put it on the coffee table. The front page was a picture of Seto, Mai and Kisara - it was quite an old one, since Kisara looked like she was one year old. Huge yellow letters wrote one single word over the photograph: "_FAKE_!"

"This guy smoked his carpet", Mai commented. "No big deal."

"I am afraid he did not 'smoke his carpet' and it is 'big deal'", Bryan replied as he turned the page so they could read the article.

Seto started to read it loud:

"_Seto Kaiba and Mai Valentine. They're young and pretty. He's rich and famous. She's hot-tempered and quite famous herself. Their first child's birth gave millions to Domino's orphanage, and every year, at Kisara Kaiba's birthday, the same amount of money is donated by the new Kaiba Corporation's foundation dedicated to children, "Kisara's gift", to a similar institution. So far, Seto Kaiba greatly improved the life of many children in the country, thanks to "Kisara's gift". Isn't it perfect?_

_Indeed it is. In fact, it is too perfect to be real, and there's a reason for that: it isn't real._

_Our team discovered a very secret, important, exclusive and authentical contract that proves it: Seto Kaiba and Mai Valentine's relationship is meant only to make the Kaiba Corporation and its CEO more popular, and we cannot deny that it worked perfectly. The duration of the contract and its value are unknown, however, the contract states that Valentine will be paid 'whatever reasonable price' she asks. It is also said in the contract that she received 10% of the Kaiba Corporation's shares - a very interesting gift indeed._

_The contract shows nothing but professional interest for both of them. Kaiba's 'protective and tender side' that we all saw since Valentine came into his life doesn't look real at all when we reads conditions such as 'You agree to give me the respect I deserve' or even 'You agree to wear only the clothes I'll be buying you for the duration of the contract'. Is a contract enough to stay with someone you don't love for five years, and even gave him a child? Well, all we can say is that Valentine is asked to be convincing in her role. But see for yourself, dear readers..."_

The article ended with a scan of their original contract, both of their signatures perfectly recognizable at the bottom of the document. They stared at it in silence for long minutes. Mai was the first one to move, hiding her face behind her hands.

"How... how the hell did they find this?" Seto whispered.

He put a comforting hand on Mai's arm, but his blue eyes wouldn't leave the magazine.

"That's the main problem, sir. Where was it?"

"In my briefcase... it's been in there since we've signed it, I never took it out..."

Then, he realized what it meant.

"So whoever did this is close to me. Close enough to know where to look, and probably close enough to know that my relationship with Mai wasn't true at the beginning."

"That's what I've been thinking. There is someone around you that you cannot trust."

"An employee?" Mai asked.

"Probably", Bryan replied. "Who knew about this?"

"You", Seto started. "Ethan did too, but I can't imagine him betraying me. I've known him since I was a child, he's always liked me."

"Sacha knows too", Mai said. "He surely heard our arguments in the limousine at the beginning."

"There is also Roland", Bryan continued.

"Roland never let me down."

Kaiba sighed.

"Only my best and most trusted employee knew the truth. I can't imagine any of them stabbing me in the back like that, but obviously, one of them did."

"Why would any of them do that? Money?" Mai asked.

She looked at Bryan. He was, after all, one of the suspects.

"I cannot speak for the others, but my salary is more than satisfying."

"I have no choice. I will have to speak in private with each of them. One of them does not deserve my trust and I need to find which one."

"And what are you going to do about the magazine, sir?"

"What do you suggest?"

"I honestly don't know. You cannot deny the fact. They have the original contract, you can't pretend it's fake. You can either ignore them, or face them and tell the truth. I personally suggest that you face them in a press conference. Explain everything, before they rearrange the story the way they want it to be."

"Organize this for tomorrow, Bryan."

"Understood."

He left the manor.

"Seto?"

It was Mokuba's voice. He was staring at the magazine, Kisara's hand still in his. The CEO immediately took the magazine to hide it from his brother's sight, but it was obviously too late.

"What does that mean, big brother?"

"You were listening, weren't you?"

"Not really. Kisara wanted to come back, I just ran after her and,,, uh... well, we heard..."

Kaiba stared at his daughter. Normally, he would've reprimanded her, but now she seemed so sad that he could not. She looked at him, her blue eyes full of tears.

"Dad... do you love mom?"

Her little voice was shaking, her bottom lip was trembling, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Of course I do, princess", he said with his most sincere voice.

He walked towards her and hugged her, but she started to cry and pushed him away will all her strength.

"I don't believe you!" she screamed as tears were running down her pale cheeks. "It says it all fake and if it's fake then you don't love her and you're a **liar**! And I bet you don't even love me either!"

Her words were like knives hurting Kaiba's heart as bad as it could possibly be hurt. He was speechless, but Mai spoke for him:

"Kisara, darling..."

She kneeled in front of her to look at her directly in the eyes.

"It's a bit too complicated for you, sweetie, but what truly matters is that we've been truly in love for five years now. The few moments of falseness are nothing compared to this. And you, Kisara... your father loves you more than anything else, and so do I."

Mai tried to caress her daughter's cheek, but her hand was pushed away like Seto before.

"I don't believe you either! B-b-because you lied too a-a-and..."

Kisara started crying again.

"And why did you say you loved dad if it wasn't true!! You always say I must not tell lies but you're a big liar like** him**!"

She turned away and ran up the stairs.

"Kisara!" Mai yelled.

The little girl's only answer was the slamming of her bedroom's door. There was a long silence, and then Mokuba broke it:

"I'm sorry. I tried to bring her back upstairs but she wouldn't listen to me..."

"It's not your fault, Mokuba", Seto sighed.

"Yeah... well..."

He seemed embarrassed.

"How long did you fake it?"

"Not long."

"How long exactly?"

The CEO gave him a very subtle smile.

"You remember your school trip?"

"Yeah. I've been away for about one week and when I came back, Mai was there."

"It wasn't fake anymore when you came back."

"Then it's almost like it was never fake."

"Exactly."

Mokuba sighed.

"Do you want me to speak with Kisara? Maybe I can calm her down."

Mai shook her head and stood up.

"Try if you want, but I don't think it's gonna work. She's very stubborn."

"Yeah but she listens so me. When I don't call her Kiki..."

She gave him a week smile and he walked upstairs too. Seto dropped on a velvet armchair, his hand on his forehead.

"She hates me."

"She does not", Mai replied with a firm voice. "She's just disappointed because she found out we're not perfect."

"Yes she did. You heard her..."

-----------

Mokuba knocked on Kisara's door.

"I'm not talking to you, big liar!"

"Kisara, it's me."

"Oh."

The huge wooden door opened. Kisara's bedroom was blue, silver and white - not the typical little girl decor. A big Blue-Eyes White Ultimate Dragon was painted on one of her walls. Mokuba mentally smiled as he remembered his brother's fascination for the Blue-Eyes - a fascination that Kisara obviously shared.

Kisara quickly closed the door behind him. Her eyes were still red because she cried and she looked extremely sad and angry.

"I can't believe it, Mokie!"

She sat on her bed and crossed her arms.

"I thought he was so nice and smart and kind a-and he was like a hero! And I was his little princess and mom was the queen because she's older than me and she's so beautiful and nice too... and she's smart and tough! B-but he doesn't even love us! We're there just because he wanted to look better!"

She started to cry again, and Mokuba took her in his arms.

"It's not true, Kisara! Seto loves you, and he loves Mai too! Can't you tell by the way he acts with you or the way he looks at her?"

"It's all **LIES**!"

"It's not! Lemme tell you something, Kisara. I've seen my brother crying only once in my life, and it was the day you were born, because he was afraid to lose you or Mai!"

"R-really? Is it true?"

"Yes, Kisara, it's true. You trust me, don't you?"

Kisara stared at the floor.

"Yes... but... I don't know if I can trust them now..."

**End of the chapter:** Poor little thing! Please review ^^


	3. When past comes back

**princesss-myu**: She is indeed a little girl, she's four years old. However, she does not quite understand the situation, she listened to Mai and Seto's conversation with Bryan and heard that her parents' relationship is fake. That's why she's angry and hurt, she feels her parents aren't as nice as she thought since they are able to lie, big time. Nonetheless, what she does not understand is that even if the relationship began as a fake one, it quickly turned into real, sincere love.

**Shvon**: I felt really sad for Kisara too :( And I couldn't help but bring back this contract, of course, it sounded like such a good idea to me ^^ (but it'll take some chapters before I reveal who did it :D)

**Chapter 3: When past comes back...**

Mai was standing in the middle of the stairs.

"Kisara, diner's ready!"

"I'm not getting out!"

The blonde sighed.

"Kisara, darling, you haven't eaten today. Please come downstairs."

"Talk to the hand, 'cause my head's not listening!"

Mai blinked several times. _Mokuba needs to stop teaching her that kind of language_.

"Kisara Kaiba, this is **enough**. I am your mother and you have no right to speak to me like that!"

"Do we have a contract like dad and you?" Kisara yelled with a bitter voice.

"Kisara, I'm warning you..."

"Forget it, Mai."

It was Seto's voice. She turned to look at him and he noticed tears in her eyes before she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand.

"She's as proud as you and as stubborn as me", he muttered. "If she doesn't want to see us, then she won't."

"But did you hear how she spoke to me?!" she asked in a whisper.

The CEO sighed.

"I did. I know how bad it hurts but... I guess we can't just force her to accept what she learned today."

"Why, Seto? Why did someone have to do that to us? We can handle it. We know what we feel for each other. But Kisara... she's just a little girl... she does not understand everything and-"

Kaiba hugged Mai and kissed her forehead.

"We'll find a way to calm her down..."

--------------------

Mokuba was sitting in the lounge, starring at the huge plasma TV.

"Kiki, come here! It's Seto and Mai on TV!"

"I don't wanna hear their lies again!"

Cameras started to flash all over the place when Seto and Mai entered one of the Kaiba Corporation's conference room. Seto was wearing a black suit, with a purple shirt and a black tie, while Mai was wearing a violet satin dress, splitted on her right thigh. They both looked gorgeous.

"Kisara, come on..."

He knew he'd won when he heard Kisara's door opening. Few minutes later, she sat next to him, her arms crossed.

Mai sat behind the microphones, facing the ten journalists that were invited, and Kaiba whispered something to Bryan's ear:

"They might try to ask more questions when we leave. I will need you to stop them. They can consider themselves lucky that I'm taking my time to speak to them."

"Yes, sir."

Seto sat next to Mai.

"Good morning, dear journalists. As Seto Kaiba's personal press attaché, I will regulate this press conference, which shall not last more than one hour. If any of you ask inappropriate questions, I will not feel ashamed to force you to leave this room immediately. Each of you is allowed to ask three questions, and anyone trying to bypass this limit will be expelled."

He stepped back, behind his boss.

"Hi, I'm Lauren Ross, from _Famous people, famous news_. I don't know if you remember me, I was the one who met you after Kisara's birth. You both seemed so happy and so close to each other this day, how could it possibly be fake?"

"That's quite simple", Seto replied. "It was not. We'd been truly in love for months when Kisara was born."

"A question here!"

A young man stood up.

"Hermes Spencer, from _Juicy Fame_. Did you just admit that it wasn't always true?"

"Bryan, would you show the exit to that man please?" Mai asked very politely. "I really can't stand someone working for this junk."

"What? You have to right to do that! I'm just using my freedom of speech!" he yelled as Bryan grabbed his arm.

Mai shot him a deadly glare.

"Freedom has its limits, such as **injunction**. In case you don't remember, anyone working for _Juicy Fame_ is forbidden to approach us since you greatly endangered my pregnancy, myself and, of course, since you published forbidden photographs of the event, along with a very insulting article."

People whispered as Bryan brought the man outside. A young woman with long black hair stood up, holding a purple pencil.

"Hi, Zui Tong from _Gossips, gossips_! I would like you to answer the question that was just asked to you."

She smiled.

"Of course it counts as one of mine."

"Not, it wasn't always true", Kaiba replied.

"So the contract is real? You lied to us?"

"We did. However, I wouldn't feel so bad about it if I were you, since you were lied to for about one week, and you've been seeing the truth for five years now. As for the contract, it is a real one indeed, we will not deny it. Nonetheless, it should've been destroyed a long time ago, since it has absolutely no value to us."

The back-haired journalist sat down. Immediately, another one stood up.

"I represent _Public people_. Does that mean that the contract is not valid anymore? What about the shares given to Miss Valentine?"

"This mere contract is invalid. I gave my shares back to Seto more than four years ago when he needed them. They were meant to serve as a guarantee; however I had no need of this guarantee when our relationship became real."

"One last question. Basically, you've been paid - or at least, you were told you would be paid - to publicly spend time with Seto Kaiba in order to improve his public image."

"Is that your question?"

"No. My question is: do you realize that to most people, it makes you nothing more than a call-girl?"

"Excuse me?!"

Mai was extremely insulted. Kaiba snapped his fingers and Bryan immediately understood the message: the journalist from _Public people_ was escorted outside.

In the manor's lounge, Kisara was staring at Mokuba and frowning.

"Mokie, what is a call-girl?"

He blushed.

"Well it's... uh... how could I explain..."

"If it's just a girl that you call then why is it such a big deal for mom and dad?" she asked with a very innocent voice.

"It's... not really that..."

"Then what?"

"You're too young for this."

"But I wanna know!!!"

"I'm not going to tell you that!"

On the TV, Seto and Mai were still answering the questions. Kisara was listening very closely. When the press conference was over, she noticed how her father was walking behind her mother so he could stop the journalists from speaking to her or touching her. He obviously wanted to protect her from anybody. _Just like he does with me…_

"So they really... love each other? Like they always told me?"

"Of course they do, Kisara."

She bobbed down.

"I should give them my apologizes..."

---------------------

In the limousine, Kaiba's cell phone rang. He took it from his pocket.

"I'm listening."

"Good morning, Seto Kaiba."

The voice was a woman's voice. It was rather low, and had a unique mystical tone. The CEO immediately recognized it.

"Ishizu Ishtar."

"I am glad to see that you remember me."

"It's hard to forget someone that is as annoying as you are. Why are you calling me?"

"I am calling you again because you did not return my call yesterday."

"So? I'm a very busy man, what did you expect?"

"It is a rather impolite attitude, and a imprudent one too, since I must tell you something very serious. I thought I made it clear to your butler that what I had to say was important."

"Go on if that's what you want, but don't expect me to listen."

"Not like this. I will be waiting for you at the museum. Please meet me there."

The communication ended. Seto sighed heavily.

"Sacha, take us to the museum."

"Yes, sir."

The limo changed its direction.

"Why?" Mai asked.

"Because that Ishtar woman wants to see me there and it seems she won't leave me alone until I listen to her damn fairytales again."

Seto and Mai stepped inside the museum. Ishizu was waiting for them in the first room of the current exposition. Mai's entire body froze when she saw who was standing next to the beautiful Egyptian woman. She remembered being confined away from everyone, left alone for so long in the dark...

"**You**!"

"Not anymore, Mai. You don't need to fear me", Marik said with a very calm voice.

"I do not **fear** you. I **hate** you. It's completely different."

"Mai, as much as I think you're pretty when you're angry, I would like to finish this discussion as fast as possible."

"So hurried, like always, Kaiba... so hurried..." Ishizu said as she shook her head.

"Look, I'm here. What was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Ishizu walked towards him.

"There is someone around you that is in great danger. Someone that you love very much."

She caught Seto's eyes moving towards Mai.

"No, not your fiancée. I am talking about your daughter."

"Kisara? Why would she be in danger?" Mai asked, suddenly very interested by the conversation.

"Because of the great power that lies within her frail body."

Kaiba sighed. He was very upset.

"Look, you can say everything you want about me being a priest fighting against Yugi and all, you say anything you like, but you keep my daughter out of your Egyptian fairytales or else I swear I'll-"

"It is not fairytales and even if it was, it wouldn't be mine. It does not matter if you believe in this story or not. What truly matters is that some dangerous people believe them. Those people could seriously-"

Kaiba turned away and headed for the exit.

"I've wasted enough of my time. Mai, let's go."

Mai followed him.

"Kaiba, please listen to what I have to-"

The museum's door closed. Ishizu sighed.

"Then please keep an eye on your dear daughter..."

------------------

"What do you think she wanted to say?"

"I don't know and I don't care. These things aren't true."

Mai bobbed down in silence. No matter what Seto said, she knew that those "Egyptian fairytales" were not that fake. After all, Marik **did** trap her inside her own mind...

They entered their manor. It was perfectly silent. Mai sighed.

"She's still angry. Otherwise, she'd run towards us."

Right after she finished her sentence, they heard someone running to them.

"Looks like I was wrong."

Seto frowned.

"That's not her."

The noise was too loud to be their daughter's pace.

"Seto! Mai!" Mokuba panted. "They... I don't know who... someone... someone took Kisara!"

"WHAT!"

Almost pushing the teenager on the floor, Mai ran upstairs.

"What the hell happened, Mokuba?"

"I don't know, big brother! She said she felt sleepy so she went in her bedroom after watching the press conference, and I was playing a video game when I heard her screaming, I ran as fast as I could, but when I reached her bedroom, she wasn't there anymore! It was empty! Ethan and I had the security guys looking all over the place but they found nobody... a-and... I don't know…"

He bobbed down.

"Seto, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

He went stairs, but he was not running like Mai: he was walking rather slowly. His face was blank, as he couldn't believe what was happening, and he felt like a robot. This isn't happening. When I reach her bedroom, she'll be sitting on her bed and laughing at this joke she planned with Mokuba.

Mai was standing in the middle of Kisara's bedroom, staring outside.

"She... she really isn't there..." she said with a very shaking voice.

She turned to look at him and he saw that her purple eyes were full of tears. She ran to him and took refuge in his arms.

"She's **gone**, Seto!"

**End of the chapter:** That's it for that one ^^ I hope you enjoyed it (Kaiba has a bad karma for kids that he must take care of, I know...)


	4. Because of you

**Shvon:** Thank you for the mistakes, I'll change it when I can ^^ Omg, a Marik fangirl... makes me think of this moment in YGO the Abridged Series, when Marik comes to Tristan, Duke and Tea while holding Bakura's arm, and Tea goes "Omg, it's every fangirl's dream come true!!!" XD YES for once Mokuba wasn't kidnapped (there must be a mistake!!!). He's getting old for this XD

**Princess-Myu: **Ishizu? That's not her kind of behaviour... I'm sorry to disappoint you. They're gonna have it tougher than they did in A Public Matter, but not because of someone else...

**Shiningheart of ThunderClan: **Mmh, I don't know if it's bad or not, you tell me ;) Ii depends on what makes you laugh!

**Sandra Snape:** Thanks ^^ I really love Kisara too ;)

**JC Rose:** Thank you very much for this lovely review ^^ who do you think it is then? I'm curious to know if you found out the truth :D

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own YGO!

_Ok sorry guys I'm a bit late for that one. I've been writing a lot on Talk to you never and Two makes three, I hope you'll forgive me :(_

**Chapter 4: Because of you**

"We are going to find her."

"Our little princess..."

Seto was still holding Mai in his arms, and was speaking with a very calm voice.

"I promise, Mai."

"Big brother..."

Seto's blue eyes moved to stare at Mokuba.

"Who could've done this? And why?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. I have many enemies and it could be for money of course... everyone must know that I'd give up anything I have for Kisara, you or Mai. Kisara's so little and so young... she was the easiest target."

"Seto..."

Mai's violet eyes were looking at him.

"It can't be a coincidence... Ishizu warns us about Kisara, then we come back here and she's gone! Maybe we should call her back..."

"I don't think it is connected, Mai."

"But what if it is!"

She moved back from him.

"What if she's right?! Why didn't you even listen to her?"

The blonde wiped away her tears with her hand.

"Call her back. Now!"

"Mai, we'd only be wasting our time!"

"It's all because of you, because you were too stubborn to listen to her so now just fucking **CALL ISHIZU**!"

"My fault? **Excuse me?** If I had let her speak, we'd still be at the museum listening to her meaningless Egyptian speech!"

Mai took a deep breath. It was the first time in years that she yelled at Kaiba.

"Please do it", she said with a broken voice.

The CEO mentally sighed, but still, he took his cell phone and walked towards the interphone.

"Ethan, would you please give me that Ishizu Ishtar's phone number?"

"Immediately, sir..."

Seto dialed the number given by his butler.

"Hello?" the soft and deep voice answered.

"Ishizu."

"Kaiba? I am surprised that you call me so quickly after you left me."

"Come to my manor immediately. I need you right now. Don't ask any question."

"All right, Kaiba", she said with her usual mysterious tone.

---------------

Ethan stepped in the diner room.

"Mr. Kaiba, Miss Valentine, your guest has arrived."

Ishizu was standing behind the butler, and she walked towards a chair after being introduced. She was wearing her usual white Egyptian clothes from the Battle City Tournament. Only the veil on her black her and her weird necklace were missing.

"Miss Ishtar, may I offer you a drink? Or perhaps something to eat?"

"I'm perfectly fine, I thank you."

She moved her dark eyes towards the couple.

"How may I help you?"

"W-What was it that you wanted to tell us about Kisara?" Mai asked.

"I am glad to learn that you were able to convince Kaiba that he should listen to me."

"Just get to the damn point", Kaiba ordered, his arms crossed.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Fine."

She stared at Mai.

"Five thousand years ago, a great pharaoh was protected by six guardians. Each of them had in his possession a Millenium Item, such as the rod my poor brother once used against you."

Mai felt like her blood had turned into ice when Ishizu reminded her of this event.

"Haven't I **ordered** you to get to the point?!"

Without even paying attention to him, she continued:

"They were Priest Mahad, Priest Aknadin, Priestess Isis, Priest Karim, Priest Shada, and..."

Her eyes moved brieftly towards the CEO before staring back at Mai:

"Priest Seto. Each of them was able to summon the monsters that are the basis of the modern Duel Monsters game. They extracted them from the evil people's soul, and used them to protect Egypt and its pharaoh. However, one day, an ennemy much stronger than all of them threatened Egypt's safety. Priest Seto searched everywhere for a criminal that would give him a monster able to protect Egypt, and he finally found what he was looking for, deep inside a mysterious girl he had once saved... Kisara. A girl who carried inside her the great power of a terrible White Dragon."

The blonde turned to Seto, apparently quite confused.

"Mai, don't bother listening, this is all nonsense. Do I look like a **priest** to you?!"

"Nonsense, really?" Ishizu said.

The Egyptian woman stood up and stared at Kaiba.

"Then tell me, Seto Kaiba, why did you call your daughter Kisara? Where does your fascination for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon come, if not from Priest Seto's connection with Kisara in Ancient Egypt?"

She pointed the ceiling with her finger.

"I bet if I go upstairs, into your daughter's bedroom, I'll see at least one representation of this monster, am I right?"

Mai looked down at her feet, remembering how excited Kisara was the day the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon had been painted on her wall.

"_It'll protect me when I sleep, right? So I won't have nightmares ever again!"_

Ishizu continued:

"Doesn't she **love** this monster, just like you?"

"_Why did you take this? You know you're not allowed to touch your father's cards. Especially those."_

"She doesn't-" Seto started.

"Seto... I never told you because I didn't want you to get angry, but Kisara... Kisara often tries to steal one of your Blue-Eyes to play it against Mokuba."

------------------

"Ow!!! Let go of me, you **jerk! **You're hurting me!"

The little girl's face was red because of all her yelling and screaming. She was trying to resist to the tall man who was pulling her by her delicate wrists, but it was useless. Tired of her complaining, he simply lifted her and carried her on his shoulder. Kisara started to hit him with her small feet and hands, but it was like trying to fight a bear with a feather.

"My father's gonna kick your fat ass, you hear me?!"

"And I bet he's gonna be happy about your language too", the man mockingly said. "Face it, kiddo. Your father's not going to find you here."

"He **WILL!** And when he and my mom and Mokie find me, you're going to cry like a little **baby**!"

"Yeah, right."

He carelessly dropped her on a uncomfortable wooden chair. Kisara wrapped her arms around her legs. Her wrists were red and painful. It was extremely dark and pretty cold around her, which scared her. She shivered, her pale body covered only with her blue dress. She wasn't even wearing shoes, and her feet were frozen. She felt some tears in her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Get over yourself, princess. Nobody cares about you."

"**THAT'S NOT TRUE!**"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure your parents and their fake love are going to, how did you say? Kick my fat ass, right?"

"Enough", said a feminine voice.

A young woman that Kisara had never seen before walked towards them. She looked a bit feline, with the way she walked and the shape of her dark eyes. She smirked to Kisara.

"Hello, Kiki."

"Don't call me that! You're not allowed to!"

"Oh I'm not allowed? You think you're in a position to give me orders, spoiled kid?"

She kneeled to stare at her directly in the eyes, but immediately stood up when Kisara kicked her. The dark-haired woman slapped her, and Kisara felt the tears were back in her eyes. Never in her life had she been hit. She was still able to shot the woman a deadly glare.

"You are **so** going to regret this when I tell dad!"

"Is that so?"

She dropped a black cell phone on Kisara's thighs.

"Why don't you try to call him then?"

Kisara didn't trust the woman, but still, she took the phone and dialed her father's personal number.

-----------------

Seto sighed heavily when his cell phone rang. He had forgotten to turn it off.

"Excuse me", he said to his guest and his fiancée.

He brought the phone to his ear.

"What is it again?"

"Dad", a tearful voice said.

Seto felt an iron hand on his heart.

"Kisara? Kisara, darling, where are you?"

Mai quickly turned to him, her heart beating faster than ever.

"I-I don't know, dad, it's so dark and cold and..."

She started to cry and the CEO felt tears in his own eyes.

"It hurts, dad, please save me..."

"Is it really her? Gimme the damn phone!"

Mai took the cell phone from Kaiba's hand.

"Kisara, sweetie, is that truly you?"

"Mom, I'm so scared..."

Kaiba ran upstairs. If Mai could hold the line long enough with Kisara, he would be able to trace the call.

"It's all right, princess, Seto and I are going to help you, I promise... who did this?"

"I don't know, there's this man he's so tall and this woman, I don't know her, mom they're so scary..."

Mai felt a tear running down her cheek.

"Be strong, Kisara, please... I swear we'll-"

"**NO**, LET GO OF ME!" Kisara suddenly yelled. "Lemme speak to her... **MOM**!"

The girl's voice became more distant as the phone was taken away from her.

"Hello, Mai", a terribly familiar voice said.

"Vivian", Mai said with her most hateful tone. "What the hell have you done to my daughter?"

"Nothing. I mean nothing **yet**, of course."

"I swear, if you lay your hand on her..."

"Then what, blondie? You're going to scratch my face with your nails? I'm so scared, I think I'm actually going to cry in my bed. See ya."

The conversation ended. Upstairs, Kaiba yelled with rage.

He had missed his occasion to trace his daughter.

---------------

"You leave me **alone!** You fat, ugly, stupid-"

"You are not with your parents, spoiled princess. We're not going to listen to you like they do."

The man forced her to sat back on her chair as Vivian put the cell phone in her handbag.

"Well. Now that was pretty touching. I didn't know Kaiba could have feelings. Except anger, of course."

"What's your problem with my parents? They did **nothing** to you!!"

"Actually, your mother stole your father from me, but I don't care anymore. This is all about **you**, kiddo."

"Me? I did nothing to you either!"

Vivian smirked.

"Oh, but it's nothing personal. I don't really care about you, I mostly care about what you can give to me."

For once, Kisara said nothing and the Chinese woman kneeled again in front of her.

"Tell me, girl", she said with a voice that was to sweet to be sincere, "What is your favourite monster?"

"The Blue-Eyes White Dragon", Mai's daughter muttered without even thinking about it. "I've always wanted to play it but my parents wouldn't let me."

Vivian's smirk grew bigger.

"I'd love it too. And this is exactly what you're going to give me..."

**End of the chapter:** Ok sorry again it took me life forever but I've been blocked for that one while TTYN and TMT were very easy for me to write at this moment, so ^^ hope you liked it and you'll be forgiving enough to review me anyway :D


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